Criminal Justice 280: Nielson

Hunter Library has thousands of books in print and electronic formats related to criminology and criminal justice. You do not always have to read the entire book; check the index for your specific topic or topics tangential to yours and read the corresponding pages.

When searching for a book in the library catalog, a search using broad keywords may be more effective simply because catalog records for books may not include all the various facets of a topic covered in a book. For example, if your topic is neighborhood crime rates, you could search the catalog using the keywords neighborhood crime or community crime. You can then check the index in the back of the book to see if it covers crime rates and any contributing factors.

To find a physical book in the library, you will need three key pieces of information from the catalog record (see image above).

1. Location: The location will tell you what collection the book is in so you know where to look in the library - ground floor, main floor, etc.

2. Call number: The call number will tell you where your item is located on the shelf. Look for a sign on the end of each row of shelves that indicates the call number range found on that row. You can also click "Map it" to see a map with the item's precise location (see image below).

3. Status: The status will tell you whether a book is currently available for checkout.